Naman Shrestha
When a renowned kidney doctor passed away in his residence in Tarpon Springs, Florida, the entire community was left shell-shocked. As the investigation was launched to get to the bottom of the case, unlikely suspects emerged, but it took the detectives several months to apprehend the suspect on the basis of incriminating evidence. All the intricate details regarding the case and the investigation that ensued are covered in the episode titled ‘The Death of Schwartz’ of NBC’s ‘Dateline,’ which also features exclusive and insightful interviews with Steven’s loved ones.
Dr. Steven Schwartz Was a Doting Father and a Reputed Kidney Specialist
On March 30, 1940, Steven Patlin Schwartz was born in Grand Junction in Mesa County, Colorado. Although originally from the Centennial State, he and his family reportedly relocated to New York, where he was raised in Hurleyville, a charming hamlet in the town of Fallsburg, Sullivan County. In his formative years, Steven likely had the supportive company of his brothers, Mike Schwartz, Jim Schwartz, and Dennis Schwartz. Known for his brilliance and compassion from a young age, he pursued a career in medicine. Ultimately, the determined young individual became a specialist in kidney care. He later got married, and the pair welcomed three kids into their world — Kelly May, Casey Schwartz, and Carter Schwartz.
As years passed, things didn’t work out between the two, and they eventually separated. However, Steven didn’t give up on love and kept his heart open. Sometime in the late 1990s, as he was trying his luck in matters of the heart on a dating service, he stumbled upon Rebecca AKA Becky, and they clicked. One thing led to another, and the two got into a relationship. Steven and Becky shared deep love and commitment, with the latter even adopting his last name despite not being married at the time. After reportedly over a decade of togetherness, the pair tied the knot in 2012. Their union marked the beginning of a blended family. While Steven was already a father of three, Becky also brought in Eric Reynolds and Benjamin Nichols, her kids from a previous relationship.
The Investigation Shifted From Robbery to Foul Play as Crucial Evidence Emerged
Together, Steven and Becky worked to build a supportive household with their respective kids — Kelly May, Casey, and Carter, as well as Eric and Benjamin. When he was not creating memories with his family, he devoted his time to treating people’s kidney-related illnesses. Over the years, he had gained a reputation in the community, with people admiring him for his passion and dedication towards helping others. Steven also had several rental properties, which served as an alternate source of income. He had built a fulfilling life in Tarpon Springs, Pinellas County, Florida, where he and Becky resided in a lavish waterfront mansion. She not only supervised the operations of his medical office but also handled his investments.
Everything seemed idyllic until May 28, 2014, when tragedy struck the Schwartz household. In the evening, the authorities received a call from Becky, who reported that she had come home to find her house ransacked. In a state of panic, she said she saw her bedroom closet and drawers open and ran out to make the call after sensing a robbery. When the officers rushed into the Schwartz residence, they were hoping to find an intruder, but made a shocking discovery — Steven was discovered dead in a pool of blood at the bottom of the stairs in his garage. The authorities determined that the 74-year-old had died from two gunshot wounds. As per reports, the kidney specialist was also strangled and sustained multiple stab wounds. While the police initially suspected his death to be a robbery gone wrong, mounting pieces of evidence and details that subsequently emerged led them to suspect foul play.
The Authorities Tied Two People Close to Dr. Steven Schwartz to His Murder
As part of the murder investigation, the authorities dug deep into Dr. Steven Schwartz’s family and friends. Since his wife, Rebecca, was the one who called the police, they interviewed her and her son, Ben. Soon, the detectives turned their attention to Steven’s contractor and longtime employee, Anton “Leo” Stragaj, who had worked on several projects for the Schwartz and was reportedly paid $100,000 a year by the doctor. When the investigators found Anton’s DNA on Steven’s clothing, they deemed him a potential suspect in the case and arrested him on March 31, 2015. Upon confronting him with the evidence, he claimed that he had discovered the physician’s remains in the house but made the mistake of not informing the authorities.
Since he didn’t have a green card and had been living illegally in the country, he was scared that he would be deported if he contacted the police. He said that his DNA was likely transferred onto the doctor’s clothing when he checked to see if he was alive after discovering his remains. Besides claiming innocence, Anton told the detectives that Steven’s wife had asked him to find someone to get the doctor killed about six months prior to Steven’s demise. As per his accounts, it was Rebecca who had sent him to the house to fetch her handbag that fateful morning. He also claimed that she staged it as a burglary and planned to set him up for the murder. According to him, he then confronted her, upon which she threatened to withhold $75,000 that he had invested in real estate with her if he told the police.
After arresting Anton for his involvement in the crime, the detectives focused on collecting evidence against Rebecca, who was the primary suspect in the case. As they dug deeper into her past, they found out that she was convicted of embezzling more than $12,000 from Mothers Against Drunk Driving, an organization she worked for after her 2-year-old son, Christopher, met with a fatal car accident. For that crime, she received five years of probation and was ordered to repay all the money she had stolen. More suspicion followed her after her husband’s murder because she ended up selling the medical practice and relocating to the town of Winneconne, Wisconsin, where her son, Eric, ran the Verizon store. Although she was not charged with Steven’s murder, it was theorized that the physician had found out about an alleged embezzlement regarding the Verizon store in Wisconsin and had threatened to divorce her.
While Anton Has Been Sent to Albania, Rebecca Has Been Found Guilty in a Civil Trial
Eventually, Anton “Leo” Stragaj pleaded guilty to one count of accessory to the murder of Dr. Steven Schwartz, after which he was deported back to Albania. It turned out that he reportedly cleaned up the crime scene to stage it as a burglary, removed the hard drive of the surveillance system of the house, and disposed of a butcher knife. The doctor’s three children filed a wrongful death civil lawsuit against Rebecca “Becky” Schwartz in March 2025. On March 4, she was deemed to have “unlawfully and intentionally killed, or participated in procuring the death” of her husband. Thus, she was ordered to pay the kids $200 million in restitution. While the criminal investigation is still open, Rebecca maintains her innocence.
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